


ink

by zhuzhubi



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tattoos, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Past Drug Addiction, reader/oc's gender is not specified, thats pretty much it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25779160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhuzhubi/pseuds/zhuzhubi
Summary: By the time he felt secure with the team, with the people who had by then become his best friends, he’d felt like it was too late to change that image. When you’d asked him about it, about why he kept hiding such a huge part of himself, he’d replied, “I don’t know…I guess I’m afraid they won’t like me anymore? And I know that’s not true, but…well, what exactly am I supposed to say? 'I know I’ve led you guys to believe that I’m this awkward, nerdy guy who listens to classical music, and doesn’t like going out, and would never even think about getting a tattoo. But hey! actually the only part of that that’s true is the nerdy part, do you wanna see my nipple piercing?'”
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Character(s), Spencer Reid/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 80





	ink

**Author's Note:**

> also on tumblr @zhuzhubii
> 
> ...
> 
> this was a request - hmu on tumblr if you have a request

He brings it up on Sunday morning, when you’re sitting together on the couch just _existing_ with each other. He’s reading the latest addition of _Nature_ \- a hard copy, of course, even though he always has to wait a little longer for it - and dressed only in loose sweats. You’re slowly making your way through a mug of tea and skimming through a novel - you’ve read it before, so you’re really only paying attention to your favorite parts. 

You hear him shuffling around next to you, and you’re about to ask him _what’s up_ when he blurts out, “do you wanna meet my team?”

It’s a topic you’ve both been skirting around. Not because your relationship isn’t serious or anything like that - it’s just that his team has a very _particular_ image of him they’ve built up over the years, and you don’t exactly fit that image. Neither does he, for that matter, though that’s largely due to him allowing them to make assumptions and never correcting them. 

He’s told you that, at first, he did it to distance himself from the team - he was afraid of being rejected for who he is, and it was just easier to project the persona of how people usually expect a genius to be. After all, getting rejected for being someone you’re _not_ is much easier than getting rejected for being who you are. And he was _so sure_ , based on past experience, that he would get rejected, so he hadn’t planned for them actually liking him.

By the time he felt secure with the team, with the people who by then had become his best friends, he’d felt like it was too late to change that image. When you’d asked him about it, about why he kept hiding such a huge part of himself, he’d replied, “I don’t know…I guess I’m afraid they won’t like me anymore? And I _know_ that’s not true, but…well, what exactly am I supposed to say? _I know I’ve led you guys to believe that I’m this awkward, nerdy guy who listens to classical music, and doesn’t like going out, and would never even think about getting a tattoo. But_ hey! _actually the only part of that that’s true is the_ nerdy _part, do you wanna see my nipple piercing_?”

He’d said the words _nipple piercing_ with such seriousness you couldn’t help but laugh, and laugh a little more at his subsequent pout. Then, you’d pulled it together and said, “They’re your friends - I’m sure they’ll be a little sad that you didn’t feel like you could share that part of yourself with them, but they’ll understand. They love you, Spencer, and this won’t change that.”

(Though, to be honest, you’re nervous too. You’re afraid of them not liking you. Spencer’s sure they’ve deduced that he’s been seeing someone - and they’re profilers, so you’re sure he’s right about that - and they’ve probably built up the idea of him dating someone bookish and subdued, a professor or a librarian maybe. Even if you wear long sleeves and pants, they’ll still see your eyebrow piercing and gauges - there’s no chance of you being who they expect)

So the sudden question surprises you, and you don’t respond at first. He starts backtracking, “it’s okay if you’re not ready yet! I mean, I’m nervous too so if you need more time - “

“No!,” you interrupt, “I just wasn’t expecting you to say that. I think…”

You trail off, realizing you’re not actually sure what you think - _am I ready to meet his friends? What if they don’t like me? I know he really wants his friends to like me, what if them not liking me is a dealbreaker for him?_

“Ok,” he breaks the awkward silence, “I don’t want to push you into anything, but I have an idea I think might make it easier?”

After a moment you nod.

He takes a deep breath, then starts, “you’re working the early shift this Friday, right?”

“Yes?” you reply, brow furrowing a little in confusion.

“Ok, so - and all of this is if we don’t get a case, of course. Right. Um, so I’ll ask everyone out for drinks and take them to the bar where you work? And then maybe I’ll sneak off to the break room or something and change out of my work clothes? Then they’ll have some time to get used to, yenno, _me_ before your shift ends - and if they react well I can introduce you? They’ll have seen you already, maybe even talked to you a little, but introduce you properly I mean.”

You take a moment to think about it before giving your assent, “okay.”

“Okay?” he seems startled, as if he expected you to say no.

It’s so adorable, you can’t help but let out a chuckle, “yep, let’s do it.”

He blinks at you for nearly a full minute before lunging forward and pulling you into a hug, burying his face in your neck. He mumbles something incomprehensible, the vibrations tickling your skin. 

“I love you too,” you reply with a smile.

…

I squint my eyes at Reid across the bullpen - he’s been acting strangely all week, a little bit jumpy and nervous. But today he’s preparing an eighth cup of coffee already - which is a lot, even for him. I’m so focused on trying to figure out what’s got Spencer so out of sorts that I don’t notice Morgan sneak up next to me, and I jump when he speaks, “what’s up with Reid?”

After taking a moment to quell the small surge of adrenaline, I reply, “I have no idea! He’s been nervous all week, you don’t think somethings wrong, do you?”

“Honestly?” he raises an eyebrow, “I dunno with that kid, it’s not easy to know what’s going on in his head.”

“He’s going to introduce us to whoever he’s been seeing for _\- at least_ \- the past six months,” Rossi interjects, startling both Morgan and I this time.

“You can’t possibly know that,” Morgan deadpans at him.

He gives us this look and subtly gestures towards Spencer, who’s started walking towards us with purpose, “I’m willing to bet he’s about to ask us out somewhere.”

Morgan squints at him, not quite convinced, but also unwilling to bet on it. Just then, Spencer arrives and asks, “hey, have you guys seen Emily or Garcia? Or Hotch?”

Morgan gives Rossi a pointed look - _ha! You were wrong!_ \- when Spencer’s not paying attention, and I have to catch myself before I roll my eyes. “Hotch and Garcia are probably still in their offices, and Emily is coming back from the bathroom right now,” I glance at her over his shoulder, and he instinctively turns to look briefly before turning back to me, “why?”

He blushes and starts fumbling with his tie, stuttering out, “um, well, I was just wondering, um, I - ” he takes a deep breath and restarts, “Do you guys - the whole team, I mean - want to go out for drinks? Tonight?”

“Drinks tonight?” says Emily, having just arrived, “that sounds great, count me in.”

The rest of us agree, and if I see Rossi smirking at Morgan as I go to collect Garcia (who, no doubt, will want to come), I pretend not to see.

…

The bar Spencer chose is not at all what I expected - when he said he had a place in mind, I’d pictured a jazz lounge or a wine bar. This place is nothing like that; it’s loud and leaning toward crowded, even though it’s still early. 

Spencer insisted on stopping by his apartment first so he’s not actually here yet, but I think the rest of us are all thinking the same thing - _this is the last place I’d think Reid would like_ \- and giving each other confused looks. There’s a mutual agreement not to comment on it before he arrives, though, so we set about ordering drinks and finding a table, easing into normal conversation over the noise.

When Spencer walks up to our table I almost don’t recognize him - he’s tense and his hair is styled differently. He’s wearing a t-shirt and ripped jeans (though he’s kept the Converse). When he gets close enough, I notice several cartilage piercings in both of his ears and the edge of a tattoo on his right bicep - I’m speechless, to say the least. 

Garcia’s the only one who doesn’t seem phased - she just pushes his (non-alcoholic) Arnold Palmer over to him and says, “Boy Genius! Where’d you get those earrings? They look great!”

He un-tenses a little and smiles, opening his mouth to answer when -

“Wait, hold up,” Morgan interrupts, “what’s the deal with all this?” he gestures to Spencer’s, well, everything.

He immediately stiffens up again and frowns, shrinking under the scrutiny. Garcia immediately gives Morgan a (light) swat to the arm, “Hey! The Good Doctor over here can dress however he wants to! Honestly, I’m appalled none of you ever noticed - you can clearly see the piercings in his ears even though he wears earrings at work, and he has a tattoo on his wrist that you can see when his watch slides up.”

Emily looks affronted. When she opens her mouth I think she’s going to start defending her profiling abilities, but what she ends up saying is, “hey! I noticed too!”

Rossi sips his drink and - seeing Reid’s apparent surprise that he wasn’t flying under the radar as much as he thought he was - adds, “you know a little too much about grunge music, kid,” with a friendly smirk.

Even Hotch doesn’t look shocked - _apparently_ , it was only Morgan and I who had no idea. Spencer looks between them all in disbelief, “you - you all _knew_!?”

Hotch just points to his wrist and says, “you like the Mandelbrot set?”

He’s too stunned to do anything but look down at his exposed wrist - which, indeed, has a quarter-sized Mandelbrot fractal tattooed onto it - and nod. Then, his head snaps up to Morgan and I, remembering Morgan’s judgement and my silence. 

Morgan’s quick to backtrack, “hey, no - I’ve got no problem with however you want to dress. I was just surprised - that’s all, kid.”

Spencer smiles with relief as soon as Morgan says _kid_ , as if he can physically feel the truth in his words. When he furrows his brow and gives me a questioning look, I smile at him and say, “you look great.”

As we resettle into our conversation - plus Spencer now - I notice how at ease he looks. Now that I have something to contrast it with, he always looks a little stiff in his cardigans and sweater-vests - as if it’s not what he usually wears. And I suppose it might not be - it’s seeming more and more like he only dresses that way at work, and while our work occupies a lot of time, it certainly doesn’t occupy all of it. 

Seeing Spencer dressed this way - or, in his _usual_ way, I guess - shocked me so much that I forget all about the girlfriend (or boyfriend - I have, at least, managed to pick up on the fact that he’s bisexual) Rossi’s so sure we’re going to be meeting tonight.

…

You have about thirty minutes left of your shift when they come in (Spencer’s never shown you any pictures, but he has described them to you - you know _immediately_ who Penelope Garcia is ). You hold your breath when he goes over to their table and one of his friends - Morgan, you’re pretty sure - says something that makes him tense up. But soon enough he’s laughing with them and seems to be having a good time. 

He catches your eye a couple of times and sends you reassuring glances and gentle smiles - it’s obviously going well, and now you’re nervous for a completely different reason. It’s looking more and more like you’re going to meet his friends tonight, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t afraid of them not liking you.

When your shift ends, you head to the back to clock out and gather your things. Spencer’s sent you a text - _everything’s going great!_ \- and you take a deep breath to calm your nerves. You run your fingers through your hair so that it covers up your eyebrow piercing a little before deciding _fuck it_ and sweeping it back. _If they don’t like me, they don’t like me_ you tell yourself and walk back out onto the floor before you can second guess your decision.

He’s positioned himself so that he sees you first. He steps toward you, reaching for your hand, smiling when you clasp your around it. His team notices the movement, and you’re immediately the center of attention. 

Spencer notices your nervousness and takes charge, “um, this is (y/n). We’ve been together for the past nine months and twenty-six days.”

One of the men - Rossi, you think - raises his eyebrows and says, “almost ten months - I thought it was closer to seven or eight.”

You both blush and start sputtering, “um - well, uh…”

Garcia jumps in and rescues you - _wow, I love her already_ \- “stop embarrassing them, you haven’t even introduced yourselves! (y/n), I’m Penelope - what do you like to do?” then slyly, “other than the Boy Wonder, of course.”

“Garcia!” Spencer exclaims, his face burning red, but you just laugh.

His friends are great - you really had nothing to be worried about.

…

It’s late when you get back to Spencer’s apartment (you’re definitely not drunk, but you had a drink or two - Spencer drove your car because he’s sober, as always), and you’re both tired. 

You end up curled up in bed, tracing patterns over his bicep (the tattoo is a tree with falling leaves - it covers the faded scarring on that part of his arm. You know what it’s from, it’s one of the things he made sure you were aware of before things got serious, but not _exactly_ what the tattoo means. One day, he’ll tell you about Tobias and the graveyard and the leaves, but you don’t know that yet).

He’s doing the same, tracing over the ink on your shoulders and back. He pulls you into his chest and rumbles out, “stay,” in a sleepy voice.

You’re confused at first - you weren’t planning on going anywhere - and you look at him with a furrowed brow.

He blushes and settles his face close to yours, breathing softly onto your cheek, “I mean, like…here. _Stay here_.”

And then it hits you, and you grin, “are you asking me to move in with you, Spencer Reid?”

He ghosts his lips over yours and whispers, “yes. Will you?”

“Of course,” you reply.


End file.
